DB gave me permission to use a private reply that he sent me in responding
to this publicly.  His words will be set off by a %DB, and mine will be plain.

Nouman Farooqui wrote:

Japan pre and during World War II considered its citizens superior to
other people in the world.

%DB Still does today. Of course most cultures are egocentric and feel that
%DB they are the best, but the Japanese have always had a more open attitude
%DB about it, IMO.

>From what I have read and learned, this is true.  The pre-WW2 Japanese were
as filled with a sense of "manifest destiny" as other conquerors have been
throughout time.  That tends to promote a sense of superiority and
egocentrism.  

Imperial Japan in Quantum Destinies has carried this chauvanism farther.

%DB Yes. They are an Empire, and their success has only fed that attitude of
%DB superiority.

Quite true.  They subjugated Asia, colonized New Zealand and Australia before
the British could get to them, and also colonized Western North America (after
defeating the Spanish for control of it).  Each such success has been an ego
boost, to say the least.

So it isn't surprising how arrogant Gemma and Ranma from this world are,
considering themselves to be smarter and better than their counterparts

>from the Ranma 1/2 worlds.

%DB True, but stop and consider, is there truly ANY version of Ranma that
%DB would not believe he is the best Ranma in any universe? He is a walking
%DB ego, and no matter what the evidence, each universe's Ranma would believe
%DB he was the best.

And my version of Ranma is no exception.  He has enjoyed a brilliant scholarly
career, and now he is a top-notch martial artist.  That has to be feeding an
already impressive ego.  Imagine what it will be like if some of these alternate
versions of Ranma met.  QD Ranma will think his counterparts are uncultured
jocks, the S 1/2 Ranma and Original Timeline Ranma would think the QD Ranma was
"just a copy" of their hard-earned skills.

%DB For example, had the Shampoo 1/2 version of Ranma ended up in QD Ranma's
%DB body, S 1/2 version would have thought the QD version was just a bookworm
%DB that got lucky by copying another universe's martial arts moves. QD Ranma
%DB did not learn them on his own, and therefore lacks the heart of a 'true'
%DB martial artist, making S 1/2 Ranma the 'better' man.

Of course, let us not forget the fact that QD Ranma would be seen as weaker,
since he lost to a girl (QD Nabiki) in sparring, and this would never happen to
the S 1/2 Ranma.  This of course ignores the relative skill factor involved, but
it does illustrate how the mind of one of the different Ranma-alternates would
operate.

They don't care that their actions may not be what their hosts might have
wanted. They don't consider why Gemna and Ranma stay in the situation they
are in or what they might feel.

%DB True, but do remember that they are both operating under the assumption
%DB that they are trapped forever in the S 1/2 universe (a reasonable one,
%DB given the circumstances). Unless they do something to get out of it on
%DB their own, they aren't going anywhere. Until they get back to their real
%DB bodies, they are now, for all intents and purposes, this universe's 'Ranma
%DB and Genma.' With the conditions as they are now, there is a realistic
%DB chance they will never be able to get the resources necessary to return to
%DB their world. So they took the most direct course of action they could in
%DB setting themselves up to get out of the S 1/2 world. That they did not
%DB consider how their counterparts would feel about the changes is true, but
%DB even if they had, it's unlikely they would have chosen a different course
%DB of action.

This is pretty much how I was viewing things.  Based on the reactions I have
gotten from readers, the majority response has been positive in how the events
in this chapter were handled.  As things stood, they would never have been able
to think or plan, with new problems constantly popping up at the Tendou Dojo.

QD Ranma certainly had no interest in S 1/2 Akane, and it is a matter for debate
as to how deep were the feelings that S 1/2 Ranma had for her (ask DB ^_^).  In
the situation they were in, leaving was the best alternative.  QD Ranma has some
feelings for S 1/2 Shampoo (both from his S 1/2 counterpart and other versions
that have been involved with other versions of Shampoo), so taking her with them
was not inconceivable.

Scientist Gemna and Martial artist Genma are the same. Each feels that he
can make any changes he wants in the life of his counterpart.

%DB Now this is sad, but true. Which, IMO, is actually a good thing. Nothing
%DB could be worse than a 'perfect' version of Genma. Up till now there
%DB haven't been any real flaws shown in QD Genma, but now we have a major one
%DB which makes him seem more rounded and balanced out.

Traditionally, in most fanfics, Genma has been treated as nothing much more than
a charicature.  Even in the original version of this story, Professor Saotome was
not a perfect character, but here he shows some definite human flaws.  In his real
life, he let himself get bullied by his wife into doing something he wasn't really
in favor of, and now he is overcompensating in this situation.

Its funny that Scientist Genma and Ranma consider themselves better while
being part of a Fascist empire that oppresses and enslaves others.

%DB True, but not an unreasonable attitude. When one is raised in Rome, one
%DB tends to act like a Roman. Same thing applies here. They have been raised
%DB to believe the Empire is the best in the world, and despite their travel
%DB abroad, still feel that way.

This is true.  The Empire is the height of modern society in this world, and the
level of comfort enjoyed by Citizens is high.  Growing up as a Citizen in such a
society would make one feel that it is the acceptable way for things to be.  I
have not really made Ranma and Genma very nationalistic in how they act, but it
does dwell in the backs of their minds.

%DB BTW, in spite of what it may seem, I liked your commentary. It's very well
%DB thought out and insightful.

I think so, too.

%DB Heh. The way I'm defending this, one might think I'm the author instead
%DB of JK. ^_^

Well, this last chapter is as much DB's creation as it is mine.  Since he is one
of my pre-readers, he was amenable to the idea of a crossover chapter, as I have
thought about also doing with Jim Bader's "A Very Scary Thought."  If there are
any other authors on the FFML who would not mind me using their universes for
possible sources for my story, please let me know by private email.

Jurai Knight
(still lacking a cool .sig tag but is working on it)